Scottish Executive

Asylum Seekers

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-17706 by Jackie Baillie on 3 October 2001, which minister is responsible for all devolved aspects of asylum issues and has the relevant power to take action on such matters.

Ms Margaret Curran: The Minister for Social Justice is responsible for co-ordinating the devolved aspects of asylum issues, working in partnership with other cabinet ministers.

Asylum Seekers

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-17706 by Jackie Baillie on 3 October 2001, how many staff there are in the unit dedicated to dealing with asylum seekers and with refugee integration issues.

Ms Margaret Curran: The Asylum Seeker and Refugee Integration team currently comprises three permanent members of staff and one temporary member of staff. This team works closely with a number of officials throughout the Executive on all devolved aspects of asylum and refugee integration.

Central Heating Programme

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is monitoring the ethnicity of households benefiting from the central heating installation programme.

Hugh Henry: No. This is a universal programme to ensure that all over 60s households in the private sector and all social rented tenants without central heating have access to a free central heating system, insulation and energy advice.

Debt

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-14111 by Jackie Baillie on 26 March 2001, whether the pilot debtline in Fife has become operational and, if so, when; how it plans to analyse the efficacy of the pilot debtline, and whether any research on this matter has already been undertaken.

Ms Margaret Curran: As indicated in the answer given to question S1W-24465 15 April 2002, the Fife pilot of the National Debtline project was launched by Iain Gray, then Social Justice Minister, on 22 March 2002. The Department of Trade and Industry plan to undertake an evaluation of all three pilots of the National Debtline in autumn 2002.

Drug Misuse

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its advice is to police forces on enforcing the law in respect of possession of cannabis.

Dr Richard Simpson: In my statement accompanying the Home Secretary’s announcement on 10 July 2002 that cannabis is to be reclassified from Class B to Class C in terms of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, I made clear that those who traffic in cannabis in Scotland should be in no doubt that they still run the risks of heavy fines or imprisonment. Those who are found in possession of cannabis will continue to be treated in the same way.

  All prosecutions in Scotland are of course at the instance of the Procurator Fiscal.

  The Scottish Police Service will continue to report alleged offences in respect of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 to the Procurator Fiscal. However, Procurators Fiscal are not obliged to prosecute such cases and a variety of disposals is available.

  On the basis that procedures in Scotland will continue to operate largely as at present, no new guidance to the police is currently planned.

Education

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how its school estate strategy will identify comparative standards of educational achievements of pupils served by schools of poor, fair or excellent repair.

Nicol Stephen: Information on educational attainment is published by the Scottish Executive as follows:

  School by school Scottish Qualifications Authority examination results are published in Examination Results in Scottish Schools. Copies of this report are held in the Parliament’s Reference Centre and it can also be accessed at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library3/education/erss01-00.asp 

  An analysis of 5-14 attainment results (by stage and local authority) was published on 24 January 2002 in a Statistical News Release. Copies of the release are held in the Parliament’s Reference Centre and it can also be accessed at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/bulletins/00138-00.asp 

  These publications do not contain information about the condition of school buildings.

  We are working with local authorities to develop a national strategy for the school estate. This work supports our objectives of raising standards of education for all in our schools, and enhancing school environments so they are conducive to teaching and learning.

Finance

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-25676 by Mr Andy Kerr on 27 May 2002, whether the answer fully complies with the letter and spirit of the Scottish Ministerial Code .

Mr Andy Kerr: I believe that the answer complies with the letter and spirit of the Scottish Ministerial Code .

Finance

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-25676 by Mr Andy Kerr on 27 May 2002, whether the answer fully complies with the letter and spirit of its Guidance on Contacts with Members of the Scottish Parliament .

Mr Andy Kerr: The Guidance on Contacts with Members of the Scottish Parliament is directed at Civil Servants.

  I am not aware of any such request to officials but would be happy to look into the matter if Ms Hyslop’s concerns remain.

Finance

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-25676 by Mr Andy Kerr on 27 May 2002, whether the answer fully complies with the letter and spirit of the Code of Practice on Access to Scottish Executive Information .

Mr Andy Kerr: I believe that the letter and spirit of the Code of Practice on Access to Scottish Executive Information has been complied with.

Finance

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-25676 by Mr Andy Kerr on 27 May 2002, whether the Deputy Minister for Finance and Public Services did not intend to state to the Parliament that money was "flowing north of the border from south of the border" ( Official Report , 23 January 2002, c. 5646-47) and, if so, whether he will clarify the position in the chamber of the Parliament.

Mr Andy Kerr: I do not think that any clarification is necessary, taking into account the Deputy Minister's comments as a whole, and not just the words selected for quotation in question S1W-25676.

Finance

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how often information requested in parliamentary questions has been withheld at the request of Her Majesty's Government under paragraph 11 (a) of the Devolution Memorandum of Understanding and Supplementary Agreements between the United Kingdom Government, Scottish ministers, the Cabinet of the National Assembly for Wales and the Northern Ireland Executive Committee in each of the last seven months.

Mr Andy Kerr: In answering parliamentary questions the Scottish Executive always respects the status of information held in confidence, and does not distinguish between that and whether or not such information has been subject to a formal request under these arrangements. So far as I am aware no formal request of this kind has been made.

Fire Service

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when the working group considering fire brigade pensions will report and whether the report will be published at the same time.

Dr Richard Simpson: The work of the group is continuing. It is not possible at this stage to be definitive about when the report will be submitted to ministers or published.

Football

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to its news release SE4896/2001, how, and to what extent, Scottish football has benefited from the Scottish Football Partnership since the partnership was launched in November 2001.

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to its news release SE4896/2001, whether it will outline the range of youth development schemes that have been financially assisted by the Scottish Football Partnership and to what extent young Scots have been encouraged and coached in football skills.

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to its news release SE4896/2001, what budget is currently available to the Scottish Football Partnership and whether this budget is more or less than that announced by the Deputy Minister for Sport, the Arts and Culture when the scheme was launched in November 2001.

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to its news release SE4896/2001, how many grants have been awarded by the Scottish Football Partnership and what the total sum is of monies disbursed under this scheme to date.

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the nature is of any alleged legal difficulties currently facing the Scottish Football Partnership; what action is being taken in order to address any such situation, and when it is expected that any such difficulties will be resolved.

Dr Elaine Murray: Following the launch of the Scottish Football Partnership in November 2001, there have been a number of legal issues which have had to be addressed to allow the Partnership to become operational.

  However, following a recent exchange of correspondence between the SFA and the Football Foundation, the Scottish Football Partnership hopes that the final legal obstacle concerning the transfer of funds from the Football Stadium Improvement Fund will shortly be resolved. Once the transfer has been made and its opening balance known, the partnership will be in a position to begin its work in earnest.

Housing

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to alter the capital receipt set-aside rules governing the use of monies received by local authorities that are obliged to sell houses under right-to-buy legislation.

Ms Margaret Curran: The Scottish Executive has no plans to alter the housing capital receipts set-aside rules at present. It is important that we continue to reduce the debt burden on local authority tenants.

Housing

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to relieve local authority housing departments of capital housing debt.

Ms Margaret Curran: Arrangements are already in place with Treasury whereby assistance with debt is available as part of a whole stock transfer package. The Executive is not in a position to be able to relieve local authority housing departments of debt outwith stock transfer, since this would require the public sector to meet the costs of both debt redemption and investment in council stock.

Immigration and Asylum Act 1999

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what research it is currently undertaking on the impact of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 and when it expects the results of any such research to be available.

Ms Margaret Curran: Earlier this year the Scottish Executive commissioned a research study to assess the impact of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 in its first eighteen months of operation in Scotland. The study involves in-depth interviews with key stakeholders, service providers, asylum seekers and local community organisations. It also includes elements to identify and assess good practice and to monitor media content and coverage of asylum seeker issues. Fieldwork will conclude in summer 2002 and the report will be published in autumn 2002.

Junior Doctors

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-27066 by Malcolm Chisholm on 10 July 2002, why it does not hold centrally information on the average number of hours worked by junior doctors in the NHS.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive requires trusts to report on compliance with the contractual requirements of the New Deal for junior doctors and available data covers whether junior doctors meet the limit of 56 hours per week. Considerable efforts have been focussed on ensuring that accurate information is recorded and gathered from trusts on this key objective.

  It is the responsibility of trusts to ensure compliance with New Deal. Trusts are currently further updating their information systems to ensure that working patterns of junior doctors, including the average hours worked, are recorded for junior doctors.

Junior Doctors

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects that West Lothian Health care NHS Trust will achieve full compliance with the limit of 56 hours of work per week set out in the New Deal for junior doctors.

Malcolm Chisholm: The most recent monitoring data from West Lothian Health care NHS Trust indicate that 100% of Pre Registration House Officers are compliant with New Deal. Senior House Officers and Specialist Registrars are required to compliant by August 2003.

Junior Doctors

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what support the New Deal Implementation Support Group has given to West Lothian Health care NHS Trust in order to enable it to achieve compliance with the limit of 56 hours of work per week for junior doctors.

Malcolm Chisholm: Members of the Implementation Support Group have been meeting regularly with trust representatives to provide advice and guidance on producing rotas that are New Deal compliant.

Ministerial Responsibility

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether (a) it or (b) individual ministers have the power to give instructions to the head of an Executive Agency.

Mr Andy Kerr: Ministers retain the right to intervene in the operations of an Executive Agency if it is considered to be operating outwith its agreed framework or where service delivery is falling below acceptable levels.

  Ministers do not expect to be involved in the day-to-day activities of an agency. The success of the agency model has been based on giving Agency Chief Executives freedom to organise service delivery in customer responsive ways.

Planning

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the absence of third party rights of appeal in relation to planning issues is in breach of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Ms Margaret Curran: The Executive undertook a review of existing planning legislation and concluded that the current planning system, with its inbuilt checks and safeguards, is compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) without further amendment.

  However, we keep under review the need to amend existing law and procedures to comply with the Convention and shall continue to do so, particularly in consequence of any relevant developments in ECHR and domestic case law.

Police

Kay Ullrich (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many officers there were in the Strathclyde Police force at its inception in 1975 and how many such officers there are currently.

Mr Jim Wallace: The information requested is shown in the following table:

  

 

31 December 1975 
  

30 June 2002 
  



Number of Police Officers 
  

6,478 
  

7,313 
  



  Source: Quarterly Strength Returns from Strathclyde Police.

Police

Kay Ullrich (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the level of recorded crime in the Strathclyde Police force area has increased since the force's inception in 1975 and, if so, by how much in actual and percentage terms.

Mr Jim Wallace: The available information is given in the following table. As the date of inception of Strathclyde police force was 16 May 1975, figures for recorded crime in Strathclyde police force area for the full calendar year 1975 are not available.

  Recorded Crimes in Strathclyde Police Force Area in 1976 and 2001

  


Number of Crimes Recorded 
  

Change 1976-2001 
  



1976 
  

2001 
  

Number 
  

Percent 
  



190,623 
  

204,008 
  

13,385 
  

7%

Prison Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-25569 by Mr Jim Wallace on 24 May 2002, what action it plans to take about the growing incidence of class A drugs at HM Prison Kilmarnock.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  Figures published in the Drug Misuse Statistics Scottish annual bulletin show a consistent rise in the misuse of class A drugs in Scotland over recent years. Drugs misuse patterns among the prison population as a whole, including those in HM Prison Kilmarnock, reflect that in the community.

  Premier Prisons Ltd, who are responsible for running HM Prison Kilmarnock operate various drug interdiction procedures including surveillance, intelligence analysis, liaison with the police, pro-active drug dog and electronic drug detection equipment, as well as prisoner demand reduction measures delivered through medical care, and drug counselling.

Prison Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-25569 by Mr Jim Wallace on 24 May 2002, why the incidence of class A drugs at HM Prison Kilmarnock has been more than twice as high as other classes of drugs in years two and three.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The answer given to question S1W-25569 does not indicate that the incidence of Class A drugs has been more than twice as high as other classes of drugs in years two and three. It was a record of the number of performance points not of incidents. An incident also may reveal the presence of other classes of drugs. Where that is the case the performance point awards are made solely on the basis of the Class A finding.

Prison Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-26855 by Mr Jim Wallace on 18 July 2002, (a) which prisons were used as a basis for estimating the number of staff required in the public sector comparator prison model and (b) why each such prison was considered to be comparable.

Mr Jim Wallace: (a) HM Prison Edinburgh, HM Prison Perth and HM Prison Shotts;

  (b) The size and role of these prisons broadly cover that of the comparable private sector option.

Prison Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S1W-26855, S1W-26856 and S1W-26858 by Mr Jim Wallace on 18 July 2002, what formula was used to estimate from existing prisons the number of staff required for the 700-place prison in the public sector comparator prison model.

Mr Jim Wallace: The staffing level was based on the staff to prisoner place ratio of the comparable prisons.

Prison Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S1W-26856 and S1W-26858 by Mr Jim Wallace on 18 July 2002, what formula was used to estimate from existing prisons the cost of staff required for the 700-place prison in the public sector comparator prison model.

Mr Jim Wallace: The cost of staff was based on the staff cost at the comparable prisons.

Prison Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-26858 by Mr Jim Wallace on 18 July 2002, why the cash flow model for the public sector comparator does not separately identify (a) pension costs and (b) other wage-related costs.

Mr Jim Wallace: Because there is no need to do so. The model used a composite staff cost which covers the components.

Prison Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-25022 by Mr Jim Wallace on 10 June 2002, why the grades of staff to be employed in the public sector comparator model prison are not identified.

Mr Jim Wallace: Because the relevant consideration is the cost of staff which were used in the model, not the grade identified.

Prison Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-24734 by Mr Jim Wallace on 1 May 2002, why there have been no Category A prisoners accommodated at HM Prison Kilmarnock since opening.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  Between the opening of HM Prison Kilmarnock and the abolition of the Security Categorisation System on 31 March 2002, there were very few Category A prisoners in Scottish prisons. Those Category A prisoners we had were appropriately allocated in other establishments. There has therefore been no requirement to allocate a Category A prisoner to Kilmarnock.

Prison Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the controller of HM Prison Kilmarnock or another person with delegated powers is on duty at the prison 24 hours a day, every day of the week.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  There is a controller on duty in the prison - or on call during evening and night hours - every day of the year.

Prison Service

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-25678 by Mr Jim Wallace on 24th July 2002, whether any civil servant received any oral, draft or documentary or electronic submission from the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) advising or commenting on the proposals of the internal SPS submission Constructing the Future.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-25721 on 16 May 2002.

Scottish Executive Buildings

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S1W-17642 and S1W-17643 by Angus MacKay on 18 September 2001, whether it has now considered the consultants' final report; if so, what conclusions it has drawn in the light of the report, and whether it will now make public its plans relating to the information requested in those questions.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Scottish Executive considered the consultant’s report and a range of potential options for the delivery of Facilities Management services. The Executive concluded that a Business Improvement Plan (BIP), using mainly in-house provision, would provide the best overall value for the Executive. The BIP involves the reorganisation of in house teams and for their role to expand as some current contracts will not be replaced as they end.

  The BIP aims to both improve facilities management services and reduce costs by £2.1 million per annum by 2004-05. Over the period 2002-03 to 2004-05 a number of changes will be made to the organisation of services delivery, to the number and extent of the contracts which support this work, and the way in which staff gain access to services. Every effort will be made to ensure that staff surpluses do not arise and redundancies are avoided through establishing staff preferences, reskilling, retraining and redeployment.

Scottish Executive Staff

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive to whom the head of an Executive Agency is accountable.

Mr Andy Kerr: Agency Chief Executives are accountable to Scottish ministers for the performance of their agency and the efficient operation within the specific delegations set in the agency’s framework document.

Scottish Executive Staff

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive who has the power to move the head of an Executive Agency to another post or to remove him or her from office.

Mr Andy Kerr: Heads of Executive Agencies are civil servants and subject to normal career management within the Scottish Executive. This covers postings and other career decisions, which would be the subject of discussion between the individual and senior management.

  Removal from office would be the subject of discussion between the individual and senior management and would be dealt with under the terms of the individual contracts held by the Heads of Executive Agencies.

Scottish Refugee Integration Forum

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the current status is of the Scottish Refugee Integration Forum.

Ms Margaret Curran: The Scottish Refugee Integration Forum was established in January 2002 and has met three times. Six satellite groups were established to take forward specific areas of work. The satellites have completed their evidence gathering sessions and are now considering their priority actions. These draft action plans will be considered at a full meeting of the group towards the end of September.

Social Inclusion Partnerships

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-24724 by Ms Margaret Curran on 20 May 2002, what auditing procedures it has put in place in respect of social inclusion partnership accounts.

Hugh Henry: Social Inclusion Partnership Fund grant expenditure is audited at a number of levels. At project level the accounts are subject to an annual audit by a qualified accountant. Where the council is the nominated partner, the council’s management is responsible for ensuring that its systems for handling grant and accounting for it are sound. These systems may be subject to scrutiny by the council’s internal auditors. Non-local authority nominated partners are responsible for ensuring that their systems for handling grant and accounting for it are sound and for ensuring that their final grant claim is audited by professionally qualified external auditors. At the partnership level, partnerships’ final claims are periodically certified by auditors appointed by Audit Scotland. The role of these external auditors is to ensure that expenditure is properly accounted for and used for the intended purposes.

  Communities Scotland is currently undertaking a review of financial procedures and practices in relation to the social inclusion partnership programme.

Social Justice

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what specific action it is taking to promote corporate social responsibility to businesses.

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will assist the small- and medium-sized enterprise sector in developing a commitment to corporate social responsibility and, if so, how.

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has commissioned and published research on the benefits of corporate social responsibility to the business sector.

Ms Margaret Curran: We are in discussion with Scottish Business in the Community on how best to promote corporate social responsibility to business, and in particular how the small and medium-sized enterprise sector is best assisted in developing a commitment to corporate social responsibility.

  We have provided funding for a small piece of research, which has been concluded, mapping current activity on social responsibility in Scotland in the private, public and voluntary sector.

  The results have been published by AGENDA and distributed to those who took part in the research or have shown an interest in the issue. The results can also be accessed on their website:

  www.agenda-scotland.org

  No research has been commissioned looking specifically at the benefits of corporate social responsibility to the business sector.

Social Justice

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will build consideration of corporate social responsibility into its procurement policy and processes.

Ms Margaret Curran: Those bidding for Executive contracts are assessed on their suitability and capacity to fulfil the particular requirement. This should include consideration of whether or not the bidder has complied with its legal obligations and whether it has committed any acts of misconduct in the conduct of its business. Where a bidder's approach to corporate social responsibility is directly relevant, either to its suitability or its capacity to fulfil the particular requirement then that may be taken into account in the procurement process.

  The Executive has published guidance (at www.scotland.gov.uk/procurement) for both purchasers and suppliers in respect of sustainable development in procurement, as part of the Greening Government initiative.

Social Justice

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it measures the benefits achieved from policy and action on corporate social responsibility.

Ms Margaret Curran: There are no plans to do so at present.

Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Bill

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will consult on the regulations required to implement provisions of the Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Bill.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: The Scottish Executive will undertake a consultation on the provisions of the regulations to implement the Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Bill in Scotland from 22 August until 8 November 2002. These regulations cover point of sale advertising, the timetable for ending tobacco sponsorship and brand-sharing. The bill provides that the first two sets of regulations may be made by the Scottish ministers and the other set by the Secretary of State for Health for the whole of the UK. A copy of the consultation document is available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre.

Traffic

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the morning and afternoon peak hour weekday traffic flow on the A77 at Raithburn, Fenwick, has been in each of the last six months.

Lewis Macdonald: The latest available traffic flow data for the counter site at Raithburn, Fenwick, on the A77, show the average hourly weekday flow (two way) between 7 o’clock and 8 o’clock during the morning and 5 o’clock and 6 o’clock during the afternoon peak periods to be as follows:

  


Month 
  

Number of Vehicles 
  



am Peak Flow 
  

pm Peak Flow 
  



January 
  

3,355 
  

3397 
  



February 
  

3,760 
  

3699 
  



March 
  

3,788 
  

3870 
  



April 
  

3,621 
  

3956 
  



May 
  

3,779 
  

3937 
  



June 
  

3,598 
  

3832

Traffic

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what M77 hourly flows were used in the assessment of whether the design of the proposed M77/Glasgow South Orbital junction will have sufficient capacity on opening and after 15 years.

Lewis Macdonald: The peak hourly two-way flows predicted on the proposed M77 and the Glasgow Southern Orbital for assessment purposes, based on high traffic growth, are given in the following table:

  


Link 
  

2005 
  

2020 
  



am Peak 
  

pm Peak 
  

am Peak 
  

pm Peak 
  



M77 North of GSO 
  

3,021 
  

3,024 
  

3,590 
  

3,516 
  



M77 South of GSO 
  

4,332 
  

4,312 
  

5,349 
  

5,169 
  



GSO 
  

2,810 
  

2,789 
  

3,084 
  

2,890 
  



  The initial design of the junction of the M77 and Glasgow Southern Orbital was based on the traffic forecasts from the Strathclyde Integrated Transport Model which has been used for various major road projects.

  Detailed design of the above junction will be undertaken by the Public Private Partnership Contractor and is required to provide sufficient capacity for the expected traffic volumes 15 years after opening of the joint project based on National Road Traffic Forecasts high growth levels.

Waste Water

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to make further funding available to enhance the environmental benefits of planned waste water treatment works.

Ross Finnie: No.

  The funding available to Scottish Water during the current four year investment cycle is described in some detail in Water Quality and Standards Investment Priorities for Scotland’s Water Authorities 2002-2006 (Bib. number 15676). The purpose of wastewater treatment works is to treat discharges of wastewater to a standard which will benefit the environment.

  Scottish Water’s investment programme is already very substantial and is based upon the advice of a wide range of bodies including Scottish Environment Protection Agency and the Water Industry Commission. It reflects a balance between our meeting environmental and public health considerations on the one hand, and the affordability of charges to customers on the other.